One-point pseudospectral collocation for the one-dimensional Bratu equation

The one-dimensional planar Bratu problem is uxx + λ exp(u) = 0 subject to u(±1) = 0. Because there is an analytical solution, this problem has been widely used to test numerical and perturbative schemes. We show that over the entire lower branch, and most of the upper branch, the solution is well approximated by a parabola, u(x) ≈ u0 (1 − x2) where u0 is determined by collocation at a single point x = ξ. The collocation equation can be solved explicitly in terms of the Lambert W-function as u(0) ≈ −W(−λ(1 − ξ2)/2)/(1 − ξ2) where both real-valued branches of the W-function yield good approximations to the two branches of the Bratu function. We carefully analyze the consequences of the choice of ξ. We also analyze the rate of convergence of a series of even Chebyshev polynomials which extends the one-point approximation to arbitrary accuracy. The Bratu function is so smooth that it is actually poor for comparing methods because even a bad, inefficient algorithm is successful. It is, however, a solution so smooth that a numerical scheme (the collocation or pseudospectral method) yields an explicit, analytical approximation. We also fill some gaps in theory of the Bratu equation. We prove that the general solution can be written in terms of a single, parameter-free β(x) without knowledge of the explicit solution. The analytical solution can only be evaluated by solving a transcendental eigenrelation whose solution is not known explicitly. We give three overlapping perturbative approximations to the eigenrelation, allowing the analytical solution to be easily evaluated throughout the entire parameter space.